


You Cant Have Your Grave and Dig it too

by faffanutter



Category: Persona 3
Genre: F/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:28:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27303427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faffanutter/pseuds/faffanutter
Summary: Shinjiro works as a grave digger after the events of persona 3. He is haunted by the voice of his loved one.
Relationships: Aragaki Shinjiro/Female Persona 3 Protagonist
Kudos: 10





	You Cant Have Your Grave and Dig it too

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes you just have to write something tonally off in the middle of the night for halloween. Happy Halloween! Enjoy this not quite edgy but not quite happy thing! Also happy birthday!!

Shinjiro is certain he isn’t alone.

For almost a year now he’s been a gravedigger. It’s the only job he’s ever found peace in after Tartarus was taken down.

After she faded away.

It just felt nice to have a reason to be up so late again. There’s no midnight hour anymore so all he has is regular midnight. 

Why did he work so late? 

Well he’s always been allowed to set his own hours, it’s not like the dead are going anywhere, but one night when he ended up home late to do his job he heard something.

“Shinji?” 

It sounded just like her.

He would’ve quit long ago if he didn’t think she was reaching him here.

He’s only heard her voice a few times since. Always a few words. It’s all he needs to keep going. Sometimes he feels warm as if somebody has hugged him. Always around midnight.

He refuses to work any earlier now. It’s to the point where it’s an obsession. Mitsuru has tried to get him on a different path multiple times, but he’s just not ready to move on.

Tonight was a particularly frigid night. October 31st. Shinjiro was out in the cold cutting the grass. It was probably the last time he would have to for the year. He feels a chill run down his spine.

“Shinjiro. Can you hear me?” Shinjiro whips his head around, desperate.

“Hamuko? Is that you?”

“Shinji... I’ve missed you so much...” he feels a familiar warmth around his body. He tries to wrap his arms back around where he feels the spirit of a hug.

An apparition appears as he takes hold. It’s the spitting image of his late love. He can feel the tears start to stream from his eyes.

“Can you see me? What a powerful day. I’m glad the spirits gave me this chance to see you again.”

“I’ve missed you more than anything on this earth. I’m awaiting the day I can meet you in death.” 

“That’s what im here to talk to you about. You can’t keep waiting for your life to end.”

“What else do I have left.” 

“Our friends are still alive and still love you very much.”

“How can I love again without you by my side?”

“Oh darling, I’m always with you. I thought you would’ve figured that out by now. I try to bother you most every night. Sometimes it takes a while to get through...” 

“Every single night?”

“Every night. You’re not the only one who has trouble moving on. I held onto my life until the bitter end and here I am, still stuck to this earth.”

“Hamuko... could you keep watching me? Until... Yknow.”

“Only is you promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Stop working at this graveyard.”

“It’s only because of this graveyard that I can see you again.”

“Do you need to see me? I’m kinda dead and stuff. I’ll always be hanging out by your side no matter what. Even if you’re at a 9-5 office job. You’ll be in a boring meeting and I’ll be making faces at you you won’t be able to see.” 

“But I’ll miss you. I don’t know if I can go on without your little gestures. I wish I would’ve never come out of that coma if you were going to give up your life anyways...”

“Don’t talk like that. I gave up my life to save everybody else’s. Life is a gift and I gave that gift to you. Do you hate my gift?”

“I have to admit I do.” Hamuko slips out of his arms to float out of his reach with a harumph.

“You only hate it because your being miserable with it. If you’d just go have fun with the people that love you instead of playing with corpses all day you’d feel way better!”

“I do not play with corpses.” Shinjiro mutters. Hamuko leans in upside down to try and hear him clearer.

“Hmmm? What was that? Creepy corpse kid?” Shinjiro grabs to pull her back down to him but his hands go right through her.

“Sorry Shinji, I’m still not tangible. I have missed teasing you though.”

“I don’t see you for months and now you’re just glad to be able to bully me again? You’re a sicko. I now have the clarity to move on with my life.”

“Really!?” Hamuko exclaims.

“No. Obviously not. I love you for who you are and that includes your teasing. If anything I’m more nostalgic of the past and I’m going to set up the noose.” 

“Shut up! Don’t even joke about that! I love you too and that’s why I want you to have a fulfilling beautiful life while I’m gone!”

“Death seems far more appealing right now.” 

“If you die on my watch I’ll die twice and then you’ll be sorry.” 

“I’ll just die twice too.”

“Shinjiro, listen. As much as I want to stick around the whole night and gab I don’t really have the power or influence.”

“How much longer do you have?”

“Enough time to say goodbye.” Hamuko floats back down into his arms and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Unlike the hug it feels bone chillingly cold.

“You don’t kiss like you used to.” 

“Being dead will do that to you. That kiss is going to help you be able to see me at least once in a while no matter where or when you are. No more graveyard needed. Leave this place I hate it here.” Shinjiro mimics holding her tighter.

“I guess I have to find somewhere else to go if it means that much to you.”

“It does! I will haunt you in the bad way if you keep being here!”

“Alright alright, I will. It’s been nice seeing you again...” Shinjiro’s smile is weak. Hamuko wipes away the tears from his face, she doesn’t do a great job but the gesture is what counts. 

“I’ll be with you, never forget that. I love you, Shinjiro.”

“I love you, Hamuko.” With those final words she fades away from his arms and sight. He looks around just to make sure she’s really gone before slowly heading back into his cabin to make a phone call.

“Shinjiro? Is that you?”

“Hi Mitsuru. I’m going to need a favor.”


End file.
